Scotland Outdoors Summer13 Neptunes Fingers

7/28/2019 Scotland Outdoors Summer13 Neptunes Fingers

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EXPLORE ARGYLL

42 Scotland Outdoors Summer 2013


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Neptunes

fingersA MULTITUDE OF WATERY DIGITS REACH INTO

THE RUGGED SPLENDOUR OF THE ARGYLL COAST.

PRODUCTS OF FASCINATING GEOLOGY, THESE

SEA LOCHS HAVE SHAPED HUMAN LIFE HERE,

AND THEIR SHELTERED CORNERS HARBOUR

A RICH ARRAY OF PLANT AND ANIMAL LIFE.

IDA MASPERO SETS OFF TO EXPLORE

Abreak in the cloud lights the shallow water of theestuary from a moody grey to light green. Thepip-pip calls of curlew and other waders rise

above the wind. From the saddles of our bikes, wesurvey the vast marshland plain where the River Addwinds its way to the head of Loch Crinan. Cycling alongthe raised canal towpath, were just the latest travellersthrough an ancient landscape that has been a junctureand a thoroughfare for animals and people alike anunusual place where sea meets land, creating an in-

between, fluid world.The day before, wed biked through native oak woods

fringing Loch Sween. We negotiated, rather comically, asingle track footpath with our three-year-old bouncingwildly in his child seat. Stopping to rest, my eyes settledon the fronds of grey-green lichens dripping fromgnarled oaks that cling to the loch-side slopes. Winterhas lingered later this year, and the woods are still bareof new growth. In a couple of months, a leafy canopywill immerse the footpath in liquid green.

In high summer, we might have launched our sit-on-top kayak from nearby Tayvallich and paddled into theupper reaches of Loch Sween. Here, wed have glidedsilently into a lagoon-like bay sheltered by nativewoodland and harbouring a number of lushly wooded

islets the Faerie Isles. With the seals raising their headsinquisitively, brittle stars visible in the shallow watersbelow and perhaps even a fleeting sighting of an otter,wed have marvelled at the abundance of life here.

Argylls sea lochs are at the heart of the areas

PHOTOGRAPHY: LORNE GILL/SNH; IDA MASPERO; GUTHRIE AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY;LAURIE CAMPBELL/SNH; PETER SANDGROUND

Start your journey at - www.exploreargyll.co.uk


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natural attractions, from the salt marshesat their heads to the oak woods on theirflanks and the creatures in their shelteredwaters. On a larger scale, they also definethe landscape of the area and how humanshave lived in and moved through it. Inmodern times, the carved-up coastlinemeans slow progress by road, creating asense of remoteness. But in the past, thesefingers of sea connected seafaring

communities.

Answer

Looking at a map of Argyll, youre struck bythe way in which they thrust into the landin a consistent south-west to north-eastdirection. What, one wonders, created theseparallel sea lochs?

The answer lies in the geology of thebedrock, explains local geologist RogerAnderton. Layers of hard rock (eitherquartzite, quartz mica schist or volcanicrock) and soft rock (slate or phyllite) werelaid down between 700 and 550 millionyears ago. About 470 million years ago,

these layers were scrunched up by earthforces acting in a particular direction, andwere tightly folded along the axis we see onthe map. The folds formed alternatingbands of soft and hard rock, and while the

soft rock was eroded and scoured away most recently during the last Ice Age toform sea lochs, the spines of hard rockremained as the strips of land in between,with craggy, low hills.

Loch Fyne runs along that axis, as do thesmaller, very linear sea lochs to the west West Tarbert, Caolisport, Sween, Craignishand others. Even freshwater Loch Awe hasthe same origin and orientation. Though

this folded rock geology runs eastwardsacross Scotland, it is particularly welldefined here in Argyll, adds Anderton,and relates directly to what you see in thelandscape.

The result is a series of niches carved intothe land, which form marine, wetland andwoodland habitats rich in life. Cycling alongthe canal towpath to the sound of curlewscalls, we look out over Moine Mhor (greatmoss), a national nature reserve andunique for being peat bog going into riverestuary through salt marsh, explains localnatural resources specialist Will Self.

Havens

Argylls sea lochs provide shelteredconditions for mudflats to develop,particularly at their heads. Here, anabundance of invertebrates provides food

for overwintering wading birds. Thesheltered waters and shorelines of the sealochs also provide ideal conditions for otters,which are relatively common and easilyspotted.

Add to the shelter another defining featureof the west coast a hyper-oceanic

climate driven by the moist, mild influenceof the Gulf Stream and the result is theperfect haven for swathes of Atlantic oakwood, Scotlands temperate rainforest.The site of our bumpy bike ride, Taynish

Previous pages and top: the oak woods of Taynish.Above left: Loch Craignish and Ardfern marina. Argyllis home to otters (above right), but also to lower-profile species such as the marsh fritillary (opposite)



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National Nature Reserve on Loch Sween,is one of the finest examples. Tucked intothe folds of the sea lochs and fed by themoist, mild air of the Gulf Stream, Atlanticoak woods harbour the worlds richestvariety of lower plants lichens, mosses andliverworts. Peering at trunks and rocksreveals a fascinating miniature world.

But most people are more interested in

the larger stuff, like the Year of NaturalScotlands Big Five animals, concedes WillSelf. You can see them all golden eagle,red deer, red squirrel, otter, harbour seal quite readily in or on the shores of Argyllssea lochs, thanks to the diversity of habitats.And even designated reserves like Taynishare hardly bustling with visitors, so its easyto get off the beaten track and increase yourchances of spotting wildlife.

Paddling the sea lochs is the perfect wayto seek out wildlife, but also imagine howthe earliest humans here would have movedabout, adds Self. They populated the islandsand loch shores long before venturing

inland, and got around on skin boats anddugouts. You can see archaeological remainsgoing back to Stone Age times in shelteredcoves where you yourself would pull upyour kayak for a rest. Seaways were the

highways back then, and until very recently.

The sea lochs provide connectivity in thelandscape, and have been thoroughfares forpeople, as well as animals and plants.

Shortcut

We wind our way along the western shore ofLoch Fyne, at 65km the longest of Scotlandssea lochs. Beyond the tourist bustle ofCairndow and Inveraray, the road seems tomeander lazily beside the shore, dippingamong native woodland, dense coniferplantation, granite quarries, and with viewsof salmon farms all evidence of how moderninhabitants have carved a living here.

Between the sixth and eight centuries, the

great Gaelic sea kingdom of Dl Riata, orDalriada, united far-flung corners of theArgyll, Kintyre and Lochaber coasts, plus theinner isles and the north of Ireland withsounds and sea lochs as arteries for trade

Taynish National Nature Reserve (top) and a fish farmat Portavadie on Loch Fyne, one of several in the area



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and power. An example of a sea loch thats

been important through time as a highwayfor people is Loch Crinan, which leads upinto Moine Mhor, says Will Self. In themidst of the moss is the fortress of Dunadd,the seat of Dl Riata. This has been a routebetween the west coast and islands and theFirth of Clyde since prehistoric times. Today,the Crinan Canal perpetuates that ancientshortcut, slicing through the strip of boggyground between the heads of Loch Crinanand Loch Gilp, an offshoot of Loch Fyne.

Welcome

Now the Firth of Clyde and the Argyll coastare among Scotlands most popular cruising

grounds. The steady growth of leisureyachting here seems to defy the generaleconomic trend, and the busy yacht havensat Ardfern on Loch Craignish and Tarbert onLoch Fyne were recently joined by the newPortavadie Marina on the south-easternshore of Loch Fyne. Tarberts capacity is setto grow thanks to investment from theScottish Governments Enterprise GrowthFund.

My first few visits to Tarbert many yearsago were under sail aboard a charter yachtfrom Largs. After a long day on the water,its sheltered natural harbour guarded byskerries and fringed by woodland and

colourful buildings was a welcome sight.Returning again brings back many memories,not least of the excellent local seafood.

Though not as bustling as the days of theLoch Fyne herring fleets, which ended in

the 1970s, Tarbert is still an active fishing

port. Our evening meal of fresh local seafood(aboard a Dutch barge converted to a caf)is evidence that the surrounding seas remainbountiful brown crab claws bursting withfirm flesh; sweet langoustines and melt-in-the-mouth scallops served with garlic and ahint of chilli; a marinire of local mussels.

From his small stone warehouse on thequay, shellfish merchant Neil Prentice sellsmostly local produce. Tarberts fleet is muchsmaller these days and catches mainly scallop,crab and prawn [langoustine], he says,adding that the local fisheries for these speciesseem healthy and sustainable. However, heis concerned: Fishing has been at the heart

of local life down the generations. Now, thenumber of boats looks likely to shrinkfurther with proposed changes toregulations and quotas. If that happens,communities will suffer. Its a big worry.The provenance of his oysters and mussels farmed in Loch Fyne and other west coast

sea lochs perhaps

illustrates the re-invention of theseafood industry inrecent years. Salmonand shellfish farmsare an increasinglycommon sight. The

move from fishing fleets to fish and shellfishfarming means Loch Fyne has come fullcircle, remarks Ardrishaig harbourmasterAlec Howie. The farms now givesubstantial employment.

At the end of a weekends exploring, westart for home with a short ferry crossingfrom Tarbert to Portavadie, and from there

along the bendy road to Dunoon. We coastthrough a timeless landscape sheepgrazing the salt marshes at the heads oflochs Riddon and Striven, white cottagesdotted among the woods a world apart,separated from the bustle of our daily livesby Neptunes fingers. g

More information

Ida Maspero and family stayed at The Creggans Inn at Strachur, on the eastern shores of Loch Fyne,

with views over the loch (www.creggans-inn.co.uk); and at Knap House South, a luxury self-

catering apartment for four in Tarbert (www.knaphousesouth.co.uk).

Taynish National Nature Reserve is a mile outside Tayvallich, while Moine Mhor can be reached from

the A816 between Lochgilphead and Kilmartin, or the B841 between Cairnbaan and Crinan

(www.nnr-scotland.org.uk).

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Sea life (clockwise fromtop): the busy fishingvillage of Tarbert; sortingnets on the quayside; asolitary boat on a calmLoch Fyne


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Scotland Outdoors Summer13 Neptunes Fingers